I surprised myself so many times this year.
I kept running after giving birth, even though I had plenty of excuses not to do it.
I got on my bike and rode in a triathlon relay 11 weeks after giving birth.
I ran one 5K, up hill, up that crazy hill on State Street! — with a stroller! — without stopping to walk, once.
One thing I learned this year that I didn’t know going into it was that it was going to be much harder to keep fit when I had an infant than when I was just pregnant. I’m glad I didn’t know this, because being pregnant is pretty hard in-and-of-itself.
I didn’t make a conventional resolution post last January because I knew that this year, being the birth of my first child, was going to be an unconventional year. But I did say this:
Last year, and the the last few years leading up to it, I’ve spent trying to make myself a stronger, more determined, pragmatic, joyful person. I want to be the kind of person who can be as good a parent as my parents were to me. And while I’m far from perfect, I feel more capable than I ever have.
So this year I will do my best to give my son or daughter the best chance to be a healthy, well-equipped adult. I’ll cook at home, eat vegetables, exercise every day, and make sure to take time for myself.
… and for that, I have a lot to be proud of in 2014.
I didn’t write a race report, but we DID finish the Epic 5K last weekend. The weather was warm and the rain stopped, so I took Felicity with me. I wanted to beat 30 minutes, and we came real close – 30:40. Considering I weigh about 20 pounds more than I did since my last 5K and I was pushing a 17-pound baby in a 30-pound jogging stroller … I’m pretty stoked.
So on New Years day I got up and I did something which has kinda turned into a tradition – I ran to my parents’ house in outer Bangor from my house in South Brewer – about 8 miles.
I didn’t think I could do it (the most I had run at one time since having the baby was 6 miles, 3 weeks ago). I didn’t think Felicity would do it (an hour and a half in a cold stroller). Seriously, it was so cold my iPhone shut off. I had my husband on standby close to the house, and my mom on standby close to her house. But she had a great time, and I was pumped on the adrenaline, close to the end, and we did it.
Later that day, I signed up for the Race the Runways half marathon in the spring. I didn’t want to commit to the training until I knew that I could bring the baby with me on runs.
I haven’t run a marathon since 2012 and I don’t think I will in 2015. It’s still my ultimate dream to do an Ironman one day, but I have too many other things on my plate to commit to running a marathon this year.
So my plan is:
- A half-marathon (Race the Runways) in the spring
- Reach the Beach relay in the early fall
- A triathlon in the fall
It’s kinda weird not trying to do more fitness with this year than I have in previous years. But my big goal this year? It’s actually not really a fitness goal. I’ll write about that, next time, on After The Couch.